Page 5 of Power
Power.
He has it.
I don’t.
Archer leans back in his chair when I don’t respond, stretching his long legs out in front of him. He studies me for a moment before looking down and playing with his hands.
“Well?”
“Uhm… of course.”
“Of course what, Bailey?” His eyes shoot back up, his gaze penetrating mine. “I need to hear you say the words.”
My heart hammers against my ribs. I open my mouth, but no words come out. I try again when that intense stare drops to my lips.
“Of course I want to be your friend,” I stammer.
He smiles slowly and sexily. “Good girl,” he murmurs. “It’s all about consent, yes?”
I nod, even though I have no idea what he is talking about.
I jump when I feel his foot rest against the side of mine.
He slides it slowly up my calf, his eyes dancing with trouble, but the fun kind. The kind that wants to make me throw caution to the wind.
“I’ll have a word with Ms. James,” he whispers. “You belong with me.”
“Excuse me?” I blurt out, a frown etched on my face.
“You are better than being stuffed into an admin pool. You should be with me. You can see where the real power lies. Don’t you want that power, Bailey? Or do you want to be stuck in a position that you are too good for?”
My leg goes cool as he draws his foot away to stand up. He leans down on the table, his strong, beautiful hands on the plastic in front of me.
His lips twist into a wicked smile. “Say, yes, Bailey. Say you want that power.”
He is offering me the one thing I have always craved. With power comes money, and with money comes security. Something that has been sorely lacking in my life since my dad left us and my mum spiraled into a distraught, exhausted state working two jobs to be able to keep us fed and housed.
He leans down further, his mouth millimeters from my ear. “There is only one answer, Bailey.”
I draw back slightly so I can look up into those gleaming eyes. My lips part as he gazes at my mouth again. I lick my lips, hearing his sharp intake of breath. I’m not trying to flirt with him, but my body seems to have a will of its own around him.
“What will it be, Bailey? Do you consent?”
“Yes,” I rasp, and then he is gone, a sinister smile playing at his lips, leaving me alone with my half-eaten sandwich and a thousand and one questions. I have a horrible feeling I just fell down the rabbit hole, and now I have to find my way around in the dark until he shows me the light.
ChapterFour
Archer
It’sdark out when I approach the office on the far side of the floor. All of the lights are dimmed, but I flick them off as I go. I have waited for this moment, knowing that a confrontation in the middle of the day, with everybody looking on, could not be done.
“Laura,” I murmur as I stand in the doorway, blocking her exit.
She looks up from packing her bag. If she knew I was there, she did a damn fine job of ignoring me until I spoke.
“What do you want, Archer?” She faces me on her feet, her chin raised.
“You know what I want.”
